Poration



Jan. 12 1926."

G. H. HANNUM STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Original Filed Oct. 17 1921 V .2ifiim gum/we 5 vReissued Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. HAN NUM, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS COR- PORATION, OF DETROIT. MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

ori ami No. 1,425,765, dated August15, 1922, Serial No. 508,252, filed October 17, 1921. Application for reissue filed January 31,

To all whom it may concern-.-

" Be it known that I, GEORGE H. IIANNUM, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Pontiac, county of Oakland, State of Michigan,- have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in and Relating to Steering echanism for Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which the invention relates to make and use the same. reference being made therein to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification.

My invention relates to steering mechanism for automobiles and similar self-propelled vehicles; and particularly to steering mechanism of the general type or class to which United States patents to H. J. Hert, No. 980,636, January 3, 1911, for steering apparatus for automobiles, and H. Marles,

No. 1,189,985, July 4, 1916, for steering. ear for mechanically propelled vehicles rel iite; and wherein motion is communicated from a rotatable steering shaft tothe link mechanism through which the front wheels of the vehicle are operated through two cams car ried by the steering shaft, and which cams act to impart oscillatory motion to a transverse shaft which carries a steering arm the free end of which is connected withthe link mechanism in uestion.

The principa object of my invention is to provide an improved and simplified form of steeringmechanism of the general type .or

1 class above referred to which may be readily and cheaply manufactured, which will be effective for the purpose for which it is de signed, and which will not'be likely to get out of order when in use. p

With the above and other objects of invention in view my invention consists in the improved steering mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing and hereinafter described and claimed; and in such variations and modifications thereof, within the scope of the concluding claims, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which 111 invention relates. v

ferring now to the drawing whereinthe Ei'eferred embodiment of my invention is ustrated:

1923. Serial No. 616,208.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in sect on and partly in side elevation showing my improved steering mechanism.

Figure 2 is a view broken away in part to better show certain features of internal con.- structions of my improved steering mechanism, the same being 1 taken substantially upon planes indicated by the broken line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view showing a section upon a plane indicated by the line 3-3, Fi ure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the re erence numeral 5 designates a rotatable steering shaft having a steering wheel 6 located adjacent its upper end and the lower end of which is supported in suitable bearings 7, 8 provided in a casing member 9, which. in turn. is supported from the frame of the vehicle in any suitable way.

Located adjacent the lower end of the shaft 5 and within the casing 9 is a cam element consisting of the two oppositely arranged cam members 10, 11; while the reference numeral 12 designates an oscillating shaft supported in bearings 13, 14 also carried by the casing member 9. The bearings 7 and 14 are preferably provided in removable cover plates or heads, as shown, in order to permit the parts to be assembled and disassembled, as will be appreciated. The shaft 1 12 extends transversely to the steering shaft 5 and has a steering arm 15 at one end thereof, the free end 115 of which arm is connected with the rods or links through which the front wheels of the vehicle are swung from side to side, as is usual in motor vehicle steering mechanism.

Carried by the oscillating shaft 12 and located within, the casing 9 is a supporting member 16 which is shown as formed by an enlarged central portion of the said shaft; and this supporting member is provided with bearing means, such as the two separate bearing members 17, 17 which have flat bearing surfaces of as large an area as practicable both of which always contact with the operating peripheral surfaces of the cams 10, 11, as illustrated in Figure 3. The cams illustrated are of the spiral or snail form and are oppositely arranged so that in whatever angular position the shaft 5 is placed both the bearing surfaces 17 will be in contact with the cams, and so that as the shaft 5 is rotated to steer the vehicle motion Will be communicated therefrom through the cams to the oscillating shaft 12, and therefrom to the front Wheeis of the vehicle.

The bearing members 17, 17 are preferably inade separate from the supporting member 16 of the transverse shaft and the faces thereof which contact with the cams are of as great an area as practicable, to thereby increase the bearing surface between thecams and the said members; and said members being separate from the supporting member m y e mad of ma e al w l adapte to resis W r, therebyredu ing th amoun f lost motion which ma develop during long use of the device. aid bearing members are preferably in the form of circular discs aving heir sid flat fa e in engagement with the cam members 10 and 11 and having stems l8 which extend into passages 19 19 provided in the supporting member 16 and arranged at an angle to the contact ng face of the cam element; ,from Which it follows that the bearing members are free to rotate upon their axes during the operation of the device, ,as the action of the per pheral surfaces of the cams upon the bearing members is such as to tend to rotate them slightly upon the axes- [It ,w ll be appr ciated from he P. -fem1ses that the steering mechanism wherein my inven i n vc is s is simple in fo m nd o which may be readily and cheaply manufactured at a minimum of expense; that the foB l. 0f bearing members is such that they Will be subjectedto little Wear when the device is in ,use; and that if and when said bearing members become Worn to such an ententfas .to result in objectionable loose ness and lost motion in the steering mechanism the head which carries: the bearing 1 i may be removed, the transverse shaft 12 also removed, and the Worn bearing members removed and new bearing members substituted itherefoi', all at a minimum of trouble and expense.

Ha ng thus es r b d and re eplai dmy invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 1. In steering mechanism of the ciass describfid, a rotatable steering shaft; two oppO itely arranged cam members carried by Said @Mlft, and located adjacent lower end :the' w l; npscfll tine s aft l cate i en said a l, v1 nd ve l ,d, g t n er e 9 sa d s ee ing sha stee ng a a ried by said oscillating shaft; asupporting member carried by said oscillating shaft; an W9 hea n me be car ie y sai sup r in member a d hav n fie rf e ada ed t contest n w c o h ell l smbers a oresa a d w ic r a s 11, fi t P 1 "fixed i latir t0 th 2. In steering mechanism of the class described, a rotatable steering shaft; two oppositely arranged cam members carried by said shaft and located adjacent the lower end thereof; an oscillating shaft located adjacent said cams and extending transverse to said steering shaft; a steering arm carried by said oscillating shaft; a supporting member carried by said oscillating shaft and having two parallel passages spaced apart from o other and l aa ed Q e 1 129 ea side of the axis of said shaft; and two bearing members each comprising a disc adapted to contact, respectively, with said cam members, and a shank extending into one of said passages. I v i U 3. In steering me hanism of the class dc.- scl'ibed, a rotatable steering shaft; tvvo op,- positely arranged cam members. carried by said shaft and located adjacent theilovver end thereof; an oscillating shaft locatejdadjacent said cams and extending transverse to said steering shaft; a steering arm car; r y s d Osc l t n shaft; rammin member carried by said osci llatingbshaft; an tw ee y q a ab bea ing m mber carried by said supporting member and having flat bearing surfaces adapted to'eqn tact one with each of the cam members afores i sa d bea i g em ers b in a ble ut axes spa apart ro on th and which alxes extend transverse to said it'sci lating sh t 4c; In steering mechanism of the class described an oscillating shaft havingasi ppo ting m m e P ed w t Pa l passa s spill apar ex ending -.t verse to, and located ne upon cash side ofthe axisofsaid shaftytwo ha assmenbers carried by said supporting member havlng each a hat bearing surface, and a shan ext din i o one of ir i a aee and t o rota abl samfm mhe f isi oseil adilacsntsa ha -and w thav i h sa ering surfaces aforesaid contact.

5; In ste rin m e e ii il qf h c s e' I- 29ml a r t tab s eering sh t; b pq t lv a rang c m membe vcarr e 11v t sha t nd de a d 'adiientthel w r en s ep a osc lat n sha l cate aaiae nt s i ram nd ext di g t ansvers o ai ste n sh w h ar ng bers carried by oscil lating .sha-ft and me fiat est tes both r na iii n a t m plan and w h sp ees are a ap ed to s te fi se wi ea h Q said cam membe an means whe eby assumin moti of s id Q$ 1 tii g Sha t is Qmrated to t Whee bf'a ehi ll' th s steerthe same. i U

6- .1 s eer isrme hani m fil nl s d scribed, a rotatable steering s aft; pes t y ar an ed am me hii r Tca-rri' d l v d shaf a d l cated la i t ii f if? end thereof; an osciilaingstt jacent said cams and extending transverse of said oscillating shaft; and means wherev to said steering shaft at one side of the axis by oscillating motion of said shaft is com thereof; bearing means carried by said osmunicated to the Wheels of a vehicle to 10 cillating shaft and having substantially flat thereby steer the same.

l I portions with which said cam members en- In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

gage and which portions are arranged substantially parallel with the plane of the axis GEORGE H. HANNUM. 

